Linux X64 and IBM Spaceball 6094 030 with 3dx drivers

Questions and answers about 3Dconnexion devices on UNIX and Linux.

Moderator: Moderators

Post Reply
ba0547
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2007 7:53 am
Location: baunach
Contact:

Linux X64 and IBM Spaceball 6094 030 with 3dx drivers

Post by ba0547 »

Hello,

tried to use an old IBM Spaceball 6094 030 on my linux X64 machine. device could not be detected. please see debug information below:

linux-k67x:/etc/3DxWare/daemon # ./3dxsrv -d /dev/ttyS0 -debug
usbDevices.c :: UdDevInitUSB() ... 0x578010
usbDevices.c :: UdDevInitRS232() ... 0x578010
3dxsrv: displayname = :0.0
rs232Devices.c :: trySB4000(), Opening Spaceball 4000 device on serial port /dev/ttyS0
UdDev: Failed to get 4000 firmware version - no device detected
UdDev: Opening Magellan device on serial port /dev/ttyS0
UdDev: Failed to get SpaceMouse Plus/XT firmware version - no device detected
Error: Could not open port /dev/ttyS0 or no supported device found.

Device worked with an earlier version of 3dx software on an athlon XP machine using Suse Linux 10.0.

Any ideas? Maybe trying older driver versions? Where to get?

Best Regards, Harald Großkopf.
crobl
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 138
Joined: Mon Feb 26, 2007 8:34 am
Location: Freiham, Germany

Post by crobl »

Hello ba0547,

can you please post the serial number of your SpaceBall here.

You refer to "earlier version of 3dx software". Which driver(s) and
versions did you use?

Which version is the 3DxWareUNIX you are using (3dxsrv -v)?

Christian Robl
3Dconnexion
ba0547
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2007 7:53 am
Location: baunach
Contact:

IBM Spaceball on Oopensuse 10.2 X64

Post by ba0547 »

Hallo,

thanks for your answer and help.

Serial Number of my spaceball is 23-60718, Type 6094 030.

Used MCC 4.65 before on my "old" Athlon XP Machine on Suse Linx 10.0. Do not have installable binaries any more. Tried to run xdriver executable.
Unixware:
linux-k67x:/etc/3DxWare/daemon # ./3dxsrv -v
3DxWareUNIX = V1.0.2

Hope this may help.

Regards, Harald Grosskopf.
crobl
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 138
Joined: Mon Feb 26, 2007 8:34 am
Location: Freiham, Germany

Post by crobl »

Hi ba0547,

thank you for your information. Sadly the serial number you provided is not a serial number we can tell you from which device this is.
Maybe it is a SpaceBall 4000? Nevertheless it should/will work.

Your version 1.0.2 is quite outdated. I will send you a beta version of 3DxWareUnix for testing. We did some modification to it that will also help you with SuSE 10.2.

Please let us know if this one works on your machine.

Thanks,

Christian Robl
3Dconnexion
ba0547
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2007 7:53 am
Location: baunach
Contact:

Thanks again for your help.

Post by ba0547 »

Hello,

i don´t have good news. unfortunately this is the only serial number on the device. is there another serialnumber inside the housing of the device?

Device is still not working with the driver you sent.

linux-k67x:/etc/3DxWare/daemon # ./3dxsrv -d /dev/ttyS0 -debug
[2007-03-26 19:44:49] 3dxsrv.c,646: displayname = :0
[2007-03-26 19:44:49] auth.c :: authGetUser(), FOUND: user = harald, id = :0, line = :0, pid = 4107, host = , type = 7
[2007-03-26 19:44:49] auth.c :: authGetUser(), end of UTMP search

[2007-03-26 19:44:49] auth.c :: authGetUser(), FOUND: user home = "/home/harald"
[2007-03-26 19:44:49] 3dxsrv.c :: startupCommandLine(), authGetUser(), user=harald
[2007-03-26 19:44:49] UdDev: Opening Magellan device on serial port /dev/ttyS0
[2007-03-26 19:44:52] UdDev: Failed to get 3Dconnexion device firmware version - no device detected
[2007-03-26 19:44:52] rs232Devices.c :: trySB4000(), Opening Spaceball 4000 device on serial port /dev/ttyS0
[2007-03-26 19:45:02] UdDev: Failed to get Spaceball 4000 firmware version - no device detected
[2007-03-26 19:45:02] Error: Could not open port /dev/ttyS0 or no supported device found.
linux-k67x:/etc/3DxWare/daemon #

I am wondering why the auth is done by user "harald". started driver as user root.

linux-k67x:/etc/3DxWare/daemon # ./3dxsrv -v
3DxWareUNIX = V1.2.5, ID 2898

Regards, Harald Grosskopf.
ba0547
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2007 7:53 am
Location: baunach
Contact:

Just me again.

Post by ba0547 »

Hello,

inside the device there are a several numbers. think the most important is "spaceball 2003 rev .5". Read about those devices a several years ago. think older version of MCC also found this device number.

Hope this will help you finding a solution for me.

Regards, Harald.
crobl
Moderator
Moderator
Posts: 138
Joined: Mon Feb 26, 2007 8:34 am
Location: Freiham, Germany

Post by crobl »

Hello ba0547,
I am wondering why the auth is done by user "harald". started driver as user root.
This is correct behaviour. On Linux the driver needs to be started as root(or via inittab where it also is root) to get access to USB devices (depending on the Linux distribution and settings this is also needed for serial devices).
In order to get the correct user specific settings it searches for the user that is really logged in and changes the UID and GID to that user after it has gained access to the device.
In your case: You are logged in as the standard user "harald" and started the driver via root.

Regarding your SpaceBall I have very bad news for you: This (very) old device is no longer supported. Spaceball 2000/3000 support was dropped already some years ago and was also no more present in the xdriver 4.65.

Regards,

Christian Robl
3Dconnexion
ba0547
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Mar 23, 2007 7:53 am
Location: baunach
Contact:

No chance with older drivers?

Post by ba0547 »

Hello,

thanks again for your support. My idea was to install a older version of 3dxware. Is there really no chance to make this device work with linux? It works with last years windows drivers (don´t know which version). I am wondering why linux drivers do not come with supporting this old device. should i throw away the spaceball only because of missing driver support? i dont understand why older drivers are no longer available. Will answer again when i know what windows driver is installed and which device is detected.

Regards, Harald.
Post Reply